The Mind-Body Couple

We unpack polyvagal theory, starting with neuroception, the body’s below-conscious radar that constantly scans for danger or safety. When that radar gets oversensitive after stress, adversity, or trauma, it misreads harmless cues as threats. The result is chronic dysregulation that fuels neuroplastic pain, fatigue, gut issues, and anxiety—even when your logical mind says, “I’m fine.”We walk through the four core states—ventral vagal (safe and social), sympathetic (fight or flight), fawn (people-pleasing and perfectionism), and dorsal vagal (freeze and shutdown)—and connect each to common symptoms and relationship patterns. Instead of chasing a fantasy of being calm 24/7, we focus on flexibility: noticing your current state, understanding what it’s trying to protect, and building the capacity to move through it. Planning for the holidays? We share a simple, compassionate game plan: map likely triggers, pre-load regulation breaks, recruit a “safe person,” and choose exits without guilt. Every small rep of shifting from alarm to safety teaches your body a new pattern, and over time, pain often eases as sleep, energy, and joy return. If you’re ready for deeper guidance, our therapy team works across most Canadian provinces and our Somatic Safety Method course is available worldwide with education, practices, and live Q&A. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and tell us: which state feels like your home base—and what helps you find your way back to safety?Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER BELOW BEFORE BEGINNING THIS PROGRAM.If you live with chronic pain, fatigue, or illness, you’ve probably tried everything — medications, treatments, diets — and nothing seems to work long-term. That’s because for many people, the real root of chronic symptoms isn’t in the body… it’s in the brain and nervous system.This video introduces a free 30-day program designed to help you retrain your brain, calm your nervous system, and begin healing from chronic pain and illness — naturally.💡 What You’ll Learn✅ What neuroplastic pain and illness is — and why it’s reversible.✅ How to teach your brain safety signals every day.✅ How to rewire your nervous system using brain retraining and embodiment practices.✅ How to process emotions and reduce nervous system dysregulation that fuels pain.🌿 Your CommitmentFor the next 30 days, do three simple practices a day — one Safety Signal, one Brain Retraining, and one Emotion & Nervous System Practice.Small steps, done consistently, can completely change how your brain and body respond to pain and stress.✨ Start today, stay consistent, and see what happens when you give your brain 30 days of safety.Your brain already knows how to heal — you just need to show it the way.🧘‍♀️ The 30-Day Program Practices:1️⃣ Safety Signal Practices:10-Minute Safety Signal Practice: https://youtu.be/gCMCfPZ7Qr015-Minute Safety Signal Practice: https://youtu.be/6p47n1zvb9USafety Signal Practice: https://youtu.be/qMqOh_s7AqYSomatic Movement Practice: https://youtu.be/_YFSDvY6ZoM2️⃣ Brain Retraining Practices:10-Minute Brain Retraining Practice: https://youtu.be/4G10P5m7FBI15-Minute Brain Retraining Practice: https://youtu.be/4uTnyuqA0oY20-Minute Brain Retraining Practice: https://youtu.be/HlcUQMa9A5410-Minute Brain Retraining Practice: https://youtu.be/xx0UJFUO2SU3️⃣ Emotion & Nervous System Practices:15-Minute Emotion & Nervous System Practice: https://youtu.be/qJ-dZ1YRFYc30-Minute Emotion & Nervous System Practice: https://youtu.be/erFtcNRlSHM20-Minute Emotion & Nervous System Practice: https://youtu.be/CC6wTTaWJaY⚠️ DisclaimerThis video and the free 30-day program are for educational and informational purposes only and are not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

What if the aches, tension, and fatigue you’ve been fighting are your emotions asking to be felt? We unpack the research on emotional suppression and show how a nervous system stuck in “danger” can translate stress into very real pain/illness—without structural damage. Drawing on studies of suppression and stress reactivity and clinical insights from neuroplastic pain work, we make the science practical, humane, and doable in everyday life.We walk through four patterns that keep feelings trapped in the body. Alexithymia makes it hard to notice and name what’s happening inside, so emotions “appear” as symptoms or outbursts. Viewing sensations as dangerous turns normal states like sadness or excitement into alarms you try to outrun. Avoidance behaviors—angry cleaning, overworking, caretaking, doom scrolling, perfectionism, sweets or alcohol—numb for a moment but teach the brain that inner experience is unsafe. Invalidation finishes the loop with self talk like “others have it worse,” which buries signals you need to actually heal. You’ll hear candid stories about misreading sensations, blowing past capacity, and how simple validation can redirect an entire day.Then we offer a clear, repeatable healing cycle. Use short embodiment practices to connect with sensations safely. Approach feelings with curiosity and compassion, noticing qualities like tight, buzzy, heavy, or warm. As safety grows, the nervous system downshifts on its own and symptoms desensitize. We talk about working within your window of tolerance, using strategic avoidance when you’re flooded, and choosing small, consistent check ins that build confidence. By learning to surf emotional waves instead of suppressing them, you teach your brain that discomfort isn’t danger—and relief follows.If this resonates, press play and try the guided check in with us. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs a gentler way to heal, and leave a review telling us which resistance pattern you’re rewriting next.Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

What if your most stubborn pain isn’t a broken body, but a brilliant brain trying to protect you? We open up about Tanner’s journey from spreading knee, shoulder, and back pain to a full recovery, and how the real turning point came when he reframed pain as a danger signal from the nervous system—not proof of damage. You’ll hear the messy middle too: fear, failed treatments, shrinking routines, and the isolation that follows when life gets small.We break down the five pillars that changed everything. First, evidence-based education shifted beliefs using the work of Dr. John Sarno and Dr. Howard Schubiner, plus real-world clues like symptom inconsistency and stress-linked flares. Second, brain retraining and graded exposure taught Tanner to approach sensation with safety and rebuild movement without deadlines. Third, daily nervous system regulation—breathwork, mindfulness, qigong, and somatic practices—created a calmer baseline while building capacity to feel emotions in the body without spiralling. Fourth, trauma processing addressed bullying, addiction history, and the trauma of chronic pain itself, using titrated, body-led methods and, when needed, therapeutic support. Finally, social safety sealed the change: fewer toxic ties, less pressure, clearer boundaries, less people-pleasing, and more play.The result isn’t a life without discomfort; it’s a nervous system that bounces back. Flares show up less often and fade faster because the brain has new proof that movement and emotion are safe. If you’ve been told to just live with it, this conversation offers a different path—rooted in neuroscience, practice, and patience. Subscribe, share with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find these tools. What’s the first safety signal or small exposure you’ll try this week?Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

Your brain can learn safety, and that changes everything about chronic pain and illness. We’re pulling back the curtain on brain retraining—what it is, what it isn’t, and how to use it day to day without turning healing into a pressure-filled project. If you’ve ever tried a practice, felt your pain/symptom drop once, and then chased that result like a pain pill, this conversation will reset your approach in the most helpful way.We start by defining brain retraining in clear terms and grounding it in two pillars: safe self-talk and embodiment. You’ll hear how confident, kind language reduces threat while curious attention to sensation teaches your nervous system that your body is safe. From there, we unpack eight practical principles: show and tell (reassure, then gently expose), set a short-term goal of safety and a long-term goal of desensitization, spot dysregulation early, reframe control toward your response, practice curiosity on purpose, start with safety signals, take embodiment into daily life, and stay playful so threat stays low. We also add a bonus: be consistent without turning intensity into a new problem.Expect down-to-earth examples you can try today, like tension-and-release breathing, quick drop-ins during daily activities, and using a light touch of humor to soften vigilance. You’ll learn why chasing instant relief backfires, how “healing wins” compound, and what it looks like to build resilience with small, repeated reps instead of white-knuckling your way through symptoms. Whether you’re new to mind-body work or refining your practice, these tools will help you feel safer, calmer, and more connected as your brain unlearns pain and illness.If this resonates, subscribe, share with someone who needs hope, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. And if you want guided support, explore consultations at painpsychotherapy.ca and our course at mbodycommunity.com.Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

The body’s alarm system can get stuck on high when chronic pain and persistent symptoms take over, and we give that pattern a name: sensitization trauma. We unpack how symptoms, scary medical opinions, and hope-disappointment cycles teach the nervous system to brace, avoid, and shut down—and why recognizing this isn’t a setback, it’s a turning point.We start by defining sensitization trauma as the trauma caused by the onset, progression, and life impacts of chronic symptoms, then walk through three distinct stages: the frantic “fixing” phase, the spread-and-avoidance phase where anxiety and associations multiply, and the shutdown phase marked by fatigue, collapse, and the belief that “my body is broken.” Along the way, we spotlight medical trauma—conflicting diagnoses, poor communication, invalidation, and procedures that fail to help—and the telltale signs: pre-appointment anxiety, flares after visits, avoidance of care, and fight/flight/freeze in the exam room. If you’ve felt “hoped out,” you’re not alone, and there’s a path forward.Our framework rests on four pillars: education that reframes symptoms as neuroplastic and responsive to safety; safety-building practices in everyday life and medical contexts; regulation tools like grounding, orienting, and somatic tracking to calm arousal without glossing over reality; and trauma processing. We also talk sequencing—why some folks need to front-load safety and regulation before brain retraining—and share real-world examples of graded exposure to appointments, movements, and activities.If this conversation resonates, follow, share, and leave a review to help others find it—and tell us: which stage are you in, and what’s one small safety step you’ll take this week?Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

Fear quietly writes rules that shrink a life: no hard chairs, no long walks, no lifting, no plans. In this episode, we share a practical roadmap to go from bedbound and fearful to confident and moving, grounded in the science of neuroplastic pain/symptoms and the lived experience of rebuilding capacity step by step.We start with the real pivot points—those “open window” moments when symptoms ease or stamina returns and the brain shows its hand. From there, we layer in safe self-talk that actually lands, not platitudes: evidence-based lines you repeat before, during, and after activity. We bracket everything with nervous system regulation so your brain can learn while your body moves—breath work, grounding, sunlight, humor—and we use visualization as a gentle warm-up to exposure when the real-world step feels too big. Then we walk through the rule-breaker embodiment practice: tiny, tolerable exposures, conscious pauses to feel and regulate, and a gradual climb anchored in choice and safety rather than grit. To tip the scales, we pair movement with reward—music, nature, connection, even ice cream—so your predictive brain expects something good. The final lever is consistency: small reps, often, with permission to adjust during flares without abandoning the plan.You’ll hear Tanner’s story of being essentially bedbound and how a single uplifting moment unlocked a 25-minute walk, plus clear steps you can adapt to your own goals: sitting comfortably again, returning to the gym, walking farther, or reintroducing stimulating environments. If your pain or symptom has been medically cleared and fits a neuroplastic pattern, these tools help retrain the danger alarm and expand your world without pushing through high symptoms. Listen, choose one small rule to challenge this week, and track your wins—like pain not worsening with more steps or faster recovery after a flare. Those are neural milestones worth celebrating.Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

Have you found yourself avoiding more and more activities as your pain or symptoms increase? Do you have an ever-growing list of movements, positions, or situations you need to avoid "or else"? You're not alone, and there's a fascinating explanation for why this happens.Tanner and Anne dive deep into how chronic pain creates a shrinking world through avoidance behaviors. Drawing from Tanner's personal journey from being nearly bed-bound to fully active again, they explain the neurological mechanisms that create false associations between normal activities and pain/symptoms. These associations form what they call your "pain or symptom rulebook" – a collection of often unconscious restrictions that your brain believes will keep you safe.The science is compelling: your brain is an association-making machine designed for survival. Just like Pavlov's dogs salivated at the sound of a metronome, your nervous system can learn to produce pain or symptoms when you engage in activities it mistakenly believes are dangerous. The more you avoid these activities, the stronger these associations become, creating a vicious cycle that keeps you trapped."I had so many hidden rules that I didn't realize I were doing," Tanner shares, recounting how his world gradually shrank to the point where sitting on couches felt terrifying and walking more than ten minutes seemed impossible. The irony is that this avoidance, while providing temporary relief, actually increases nervous system dysregulation and perpetuates the pain cycle.This episode provides an eye-opening framework for understanding why simply "pushing through" or "completely avoiding" pain or symptom triggers aren't effective long-term strategies. Instead, they offer a practical exercise to identify your own pain or symptom rulebook as the first step toward breaking free from these limitations. Grab a notebook and follow along to discover the hidden rules that might be governing your life.Ready to reclaim your freedom from pain? Listen now, and be sure to catch next week's episode where Tanner and Anne will share six powerful strategies to safely break your rules and expand your world again.Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

Could your morning routine be secretly sabotaging your chronic pain and illness recovery? In this illuminating episode, we explore how those critical first moments after waking profoundly impact your nervous system's regulation and pain processing throughout the entire day.When you first open your eyes, your brain is in a uniquely vulnerable state—actively scanning your environment and asking: "Am I safe today, or am I in danger?" The signals you send during this transition period can either trigger fight-or-flight responses that amplify pain or create safety cues that begin a cascade of healing. We break down exactly which common morning behaviors are keeping you locked in pain and symptom cycles and which practices can rewire your brain for relief.Many of us unknowingly start our days with habits that spike dysregulation—immediately checking phones, rushing frantically, consuming caffeine on empty stomachs, or engaging in negative self-talk about symptoms. These seemingly innocent behaviors trigger stress responses that directly increase pain and symptom sensitivity. Equally problematic are patterns that promote freeze responses: staying in bed scrolling, avoiding movement, and remaining isolated. We share personal examples of how these patterns affected our own healing journeys and how we transformed them.The good news? Simple, intentional morning practices can dramatically shift your pain experience. We provide a comprehensive toolkit of healing morning rituals including somatic movement, specific breathwork techniques, embodiment practices, thought work, and nature exposure—all designed to send powerful safety signals to your nervous system. You'll learn practical implementation strategies that don't require massive time commitments or dramatic lifestyle overhauls.Whether you're struggling with chronic pain, persistent symptoms, or simply want to optimize your nervous system regulation, this episode offers a roadmap for creating morning routines that support lasting healing. Start tomorrow with even one small change, and begin transforming your relationship with pain from the moment you wake up.Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...

Ever wondered why, despite trying countless treatments, your chronic pain and illness persists? The answer might be hiding in your daily habits. Tanner and Anne reveal how our lifestyle patterns can keep us trapped in cycles of pain and symptoms—even when we're doing everything else "right."The MindBodyCouple hosts dive deep into three critical habits that maintain chronic pain. First, they explore high-intensity living—that relentless cycle of overworking, perfectionism, and ignoring basic needs that keeps our nervous systems stuck in fight-or-flight. Tanner shares his personal experience of how this pattern preceded his own chronic pain journey, feeling initially productive but eventually crossing a threshold where his body couldn't sustain it. The solution isn't abandoning intensity altogether but finding balance—slowing down, creating space for play, and blending purpose with safety.Equally problematic is low-intensity living—withdrawal, isolation, and avoidance that many fall into when pain and illness becomes overwhelming. While it seems protective, this pattern actually sends danger signals to the brain, perpetuating symptoms. Anne and Tanner offer practical strategies for mobilizing a shut-down system through purposeful action, reconnection, and gradual exposure to movement and the outside world.Perhaps most fundamental is the third habit: lack of embodiment. This disconnection from bodily sensations keeps many stuck in chronic pain cycles, constantly thinking rather than feeling and viewing the body as an unsafe place. Both hosts relate personally to this pattern, acknowledging how threatening it can feel to tune into a body experiencing pain and illness. Through gentle somatic practices and daily embodiment exercises, we can rebuild a compassionate relationship with our physical selves.Ready to transform your relationship with chronic symptoms? Start by identifying which habits resonate most strongly with you and make one small shift today. Remember, healing isn't just about removing pain—it's about changing how you live, feel, and relate to yourself.Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health! The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/ Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy Discl...